Modern Colors for the Modern Nursery

Few of life’s joys compare to the thrill of preparing for a new baby. A central part is deciding how to decorate your new baby’s nursery. Fortunately, nursery design is no longer constrained by traditional colors of blue for boys and pink for girls. You can also choose from a wonderful array of modern colors, from purple and green, to orange and grey to make the nursery of your dreams.

Purple. To give your nursery a stylish and luxurious feel add deep purple.  Purple is a modern, gender neutral color that is gaining in popularity because it draws in the eye and infants seem to love it, too. You can also use pastels like lavender and lilac, which brings serenity to the nursery.

Blue. While blue is a soothing and traditional color, but modern design applications make it feel new.  For a masculine, modern take on blue ry navy or tone-on-tone to create an appealing and elegant space. Avoid blue-grey, however, it can make people and babies feel a little blue.

Red. You might hear that red is a horrible color for nurseries because it can energize people and your baby will never sleep. It is a busy color, and certainly is linked to aggression – and hunger – in children. But when used for an accent color it adds a fun energy into the nursery decor. Try one wall of red and white stripes, or a bright red rug, to add a nice pop of modern color.

Yellow. Yellow is cheerful and bright and can add warmth to your nursery. Soft yellow promotes concentration in children, and evokes a lively and energetic feel. Darker, golden yellow is best toned down with a neutral color, while bright yellow is also best used as an accent color as it can upset little children.

Orange. This modern, accent color is a cozy addition to any nursery. After blue and purple, it is a popular choice for the nursery because it can inspire social interaction. If you want to create a warm and intimate space, consider a splash of orange.

Green. Some believe that children don’t like green very much, while others believe that green promotes well-being and helps with learning by improving concentration, which makes it the perfect modern color. Light green walls, mixed with soft brown, for example, can create a gorgeous, gender neutral nursery.

Pink. Give this serene and calming color a modern take in your nursery by avoiding an all-pink design. The trend now is to use pink as an accent color or as a soft background. Like blue, it can be gender neutral when used as an accent color.  For a super modern look, go with pink and black.

Gray. This contemplative color is more common with parents because of its versatility – gray can go with any other color. It can be tricky, though: if too light it can wash out a room; too dark and the room can feel sad.

Black or White. These colors might not be your first choice but each can help to create a modern look. Black is a powerful accent color and when mixed with softer colors you can create a stunning yet relaxing nursery. Use black sparingly if the nursery does not have a lot of natural light. Avoid all white nurseries, a more modern take is to add in color since babies  need stimulation. White promotes a calm and breezy environment.

Decorating Your New Babies Nursery

Decorating a nursery is such an exciting and tender interior design project. It is a chance for parents to channel their enthusiasm while waiting for the newest member of their family to arrive. That being said, the days of “pink or blue?” have faded into the past. Parents in the modern era are faced with a bevy of decisions: traditional or contemporary? Gendered or neutral? Theme or no theme?

We’ve put together a series of questions that can help you to decide the best way to decorate your nursery using a style that complements your home, your lifestyle and your taste.

Are you a serial decorator?

Or, how much do you enjoy changing the aesthetics of your rooms or living space? If you can’t keep your eyes away from design magazines, are always up on Pantone’s annual color palates, and love nothing more then to spend a weekend taping and giving new life to painted walls, you can design ahighly-stylized nursery today knowing you will look forward to changing it again within a few years. If you would prefer to create a nursery that will easily transition into a young child’s room, or guest room, you may want tobe more conservative in your selections.

What’s your design style?

What style do you want for the nursery? If you are a modernist, you may want something a little more minimal, free of the frills, bells, and whistles that so often become a part of a baby’s nursery. If you are a traditionalist, you may want a “no restrictions” clause in your interior design plan so you can incorporate the canopies, curtains, and prince- or princess-like accessories that will transform the room into a world of its own.

Do you want a theme?

You can create any theme under the sun, and it can be an easy way to build your nursery design by providing an intrinsic color palate. However, a theme can also lock you into a very specific look. Your child may love it once he is old enough to express his own tastes, which happens sooner than you would think. Or, your 2.5 year old may tell you she wants a fish bedroom instead of a princess room, which will take you back to square one. If you aren’t a serial decorator, as mentioned above, you may want to keep walls or wallpaper relatively versatile and leave themed items to window treatments, area rugs or pillow shams, which can be easily changed out down the road.

What furniture is necessary?

If you want to go all out and buy new nursery furniture, go ahead. However, many nursery items, such as changing tables and rocking chairs may only be used for the first year, or less. You may find that, other than the crib, there are smarter ways to go about acquiring ideal nursery furniture, and for the room it will become later on. For example, a dresser is easily converted into a changing table with the right pad and will transition back to a child’s dresser within the first two years. Rather than a rocking chair, you may find it’s better to reupholster an old chair in the garage, or one you find at a thrift store, that will become a favorite reading chair or comfort spot for your child throughout childhood.